Jaws Opening - Analysis of Sound and Camera.

The film truly starts whilst the credits are still being shown. Marine-like sounds are heard at low volume whilst we are watching a mostly black screen. This instantly gives the audience a sense of where the film will begin. Soon after those sounds, the tense score begins to play, it also is at a low volume. The sinister music builds up throughout the opening credits and then into the first shot of the film. It begins with a lengthy POV shot from underwater. This POV shot along with the deadly music makes the viewer subconsciously interpret that whomever's eyes we are looking out of is someone/something to be afraid of. And now that we think this, whenever we hear this music it will bring up the thought in our minds that something scary will happen. It is also key to mention that this music is non-diegetic sound. At the final moments of this long POV shot we are listening to this score which almost becomes unbearable with the amount of tension it is bringing. However instead of revealing something shocking it cuts to a calm location elsewhere. This is effective as it 'hooks' the audience. We force ourselves to keep watching for the very least to find out what is in the water.

The next scene (which is also the second shot) is a track. The camera takes us around a group of happy people. The tracking shot establishes what this group is like. Sound also establishes the overall personality of the civilians, we hear casual chatting which is happy and friendly. There are some playing instruments too. This music is diegetic sound. Since we link the score at the beginning as danger and that is non-diegetic sound, the diegetic sound from the instruments creates a contrast which creates the illusion of 'safety' in this location. On the other hand faintly in the background you can hear bells ringing. Bells ringing connotate with doom.

Next we have an eyeline match, it is of a boy looking out away from the group. This may fool viewers into believing he has seen the thing what is hiding underwater. A little suspense rises from this as we await to witness an image of the creature. However the guy is actually looking at a girl. The duo have a conversation, whilst this is going on the other conversations in the background are 'blurred', this is to make sure full focus is on these two. The couple then run off away from the group. This was a key move from the film-makers as it separates them from the others. It is also worth mentioning that these two are running away from the 'safe' music into a more dangerous scenario.

As the male character is running across the beach he shouts out some expositional dialogue. He jokes about being “not drunk” which obviously indicates to us that he is. The writers have tried to make it subtle, but it is still quite blatant. This speech is here to show that the character won't be of any use if anything bad should happen.

Once we get to the beach and the sea the female character jumps right in whilst the drunk male is laying on the beach. A wide shot is used to show how far the female is away from land and how alone she is in the masses of ocean.

Now for the scene where the girl is attacked. A mixture of close up shots are used to give us great detail of the terror on her face. The close up enhances the horror of what is happening. We are also shown more POV shots just like the very start, this is just to make sure that these water-dwellers are one and the same. During this attack the tense music is brought back. This brings back the feeling we thought earlier during the opening shot of the film. As long with this sound we hear the screaming coming from the lady. During this frightening attack the scene cross-cuts to the boy every now and then. When these shots appear the music and screaming stops, this shows that even if he was in a state where he could help the girl is too far away to be noticed. Once the female is killed everything goes silent. But then shortly afterwards you hear those bells once again. And that is how the opening closes.